Living like the McKnights in Glen Osborne
When William and Patricia Hittinger purchased their home they were told by the sellers, “Try not to mess with the architecture of the home. It was done in an exquisite manner. It needs love and care to keep it up.”
The Hittingers have followed that advice to the letter, because when you own a home designed by architects Longfellow, Alden & Harlow, you own a piece of history.
They purchased the sevenbedroom, 4 1/2-bath home at 1107 Beaver Road (MLS No. 1043071) in Glen Osborne in October 1995. After nearly 20 years enjoying the half -timbered brick Tudor Revival and its three-fourths of an acre wooded lot, they are downsizing. It is on the market for $1.275 million with Pilar Meyer of RE/ MAX Advanced Realtors (412741-0763 or www.remax.com).
The house was built in 1895 for Charles McKnight, president of Carbon Coal Co., his wife, Eliza Cochran Wilson, and their family.
“The home was not only filled with their children but with aunts, uncles and cousins,” said Malcolm McKnight of Ocean City, Md., their last surviving grandchild. “My grandfather died in 1926 and his children all lived in Sewickley and Pittsburgh for quite some time. It is a wonderful place to raise a family.”
The home originally sat on 3 acres and had a stable for horses. “In those days, everyone traveled to Pittsburgh on the train. Up until World War I, that is how folks got around,” he said.
The Hittingers took him through the home about seven years ago when he was visiting. He said it was as lovely as he remembered it.
The home is mentioned in Margaret Henderson Floyd’s “Architecture After Richardson.” There are more than 100 boxes of McKnight family
records (including receipts from the home’s construction) in the Heinz History Center’s archives, and yes, they are the namesake for McKnight Road in the North Hills.
The house is set back from Beaver Road, which is Beaver Street in Sewickley. A long driveway leads to both the front steps and a large side porch with pillars and a full balcony on top.
“We spent a lot of summers on the side porch. We eat out there all summer,” said Mrs. Hittinger.
The 22- by- 13-foot foyer has wainscoting and a coffered ceiling made from chestnut. Leaded-glass panels frame the front door. To the left is the living room, which measures 29 by 16 feet. Its focal point is an oversized wood-burning fireplace with a carved mantel and marble surround. French doors lead to a sunroom and a pair of doors flanking the fireplace lead to another porch.
A wall of windows in the sunroom frame the outdoor views. Comfortable furniture shows that this is an allseason room. The rich red library has a wall of built-in bookshelves, a fireplace and large windows.
Mr. Hittinger said he and his wife repainted every room in authentic period colors. They found a few architectural gems along the way.
“There were 20 brass wall sconces in the basement. We refinished them all and had an electrician rewire and reinstall them. They were probably originally gas light fixtures.”
The 19- by- 16-foot kitchen was completely renovated, as were the baths. “We took down a wall and installed an island,” said Mrs. Hittinger.
White cabinetry, tile counter tops and warm pumpkin-colored paint complement the original hardwood floors that had been buried under layers of linoleum. Appliances include a five-burner gas cooktop, dishwasher and French-door refrigerator. A butler’s pantry has storage and a small sink.
The 18-by- 14-foot dining room has white-painted paneling and a grand fireplace. A crystal chandelier hangs in the center and a bank of windows at one end provide a lovely view.
Upstairs, the 17- by- 16-foot master bedroom is painted cornflower blue. A crystal chandelier and cream carpeting provide light and warmth. The suite includes a dressing room and master bath with original pedestal sinks repurposed from other areas. It has new marble floors, a multihead shower, tub, wrought-iron chandelier and soft gray walls.
The largest of the four bedrooms on the second floor measures 18 by 12 feet and features a fireplace whose surround is covered in 18th-century Delft tiles. A closet contains an original working scrub sink.
The third floor has three more bedrooms and a tub and shower combination with original burnished tiles and a wall heater. Black-andwhite Toile de Jouy wallpaper covers the ceiling.
The property’s county assessed value is $634,300 (www2.county.allegheny. pa.us/RealEstate/). Over the last three years, 12 properties have sold on Beaver Road/Street for prices ranging from $305,000 in May 2014 to $1.01 million in November 2014 (www.realstats.net).
Mr. Hittinger has some advice for the next owner: “These houses take a lot of love and care, but they give a lot of love and care back.”
The home is open by appointment.